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Satyendra Pathak
Doha
QATAR will build one school and two maternity hospitals at the cost of $35 million in Kazakhstan, the country's Ambassador to Qatar HE Askar Shokybayev said on Sunday.
Talking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of an event in Doha to mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic service of the independent Kazakhstan, Shokybayev said the school to be named after the Emir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani would be built in Astana, while the maternity hospitals would be located in the country's Almaty region.
According to the ambassador, the school project would start very soon and would be completed by the end of next year.
Work on maternity hospitals specialising in caring for expectant mothers and newborn infants will also start soon, the ambassador said.
Both the school and hospital projects would be funded by Qatar Development Fund, he added.
Hailing Qatar for launching such humanitarian projects, Shokybayev said that Qatar has been supporting Kazakhstan ever since the country established independent diplomatic service 25 years ago.
Shokybayev also revealed that Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in cooperation with its international partners would invest $100 million in various infrastructure projects of Kazakhstan. The investment would be mainly in the fields of agriculture, water management and transportation, the ambassador said.
Efforts are also being made to increase trade volume between Kazakhstan and Qatar, he said."The current trade volume between the two countries is very low due to logistical issues. Kazakhstan and Qatar are not connected through sea route. We are making efforts to establish trade route through Iran. Once this route becomes active, I am sure the trade volume between the two countries would rise," the ambassador added.
Earlier, addressing diplomats, bureaucrats and top officials of Qatari entities at the event, Shokybayev said that Kazakhstan has always enjoyed strong relationship with Arab countries, adding that Qatar's position was vital in the region.
"Kazakhstan and Qatar have cemented ties by making several agreements in areas of politics, trade and investment ever since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1993. The cooperation on the level of ministries and agencies is also progressing well," he said.
The ambassador added,"The platform for successful bilateral cooperation between Astana and Doha was grounded with the first official visit of our president to Qatar in 1998. The visit was followed by HH the Father Emir's visit to Astana in 1999."
He further said:"Kazakhstan has achieved a great deal in a short time and seeks to build on its achievements. It also aims to step up its role in promoting peace and prosperity globally."
